Old Bill

Thanks Richard. Most useful, if a little worrying! Steve

With special dove-tailed rollers of course! :??? Seriously though, do you think it might be a two-part process where the grooves are rolled first and then the ridges given a squeeze which spreads them out at the top? Steve

Just for a change, a little bit of brasswork. A while back, we were very kindly given a super fuel filter, not quite the right one but one which would do the job with no work and look presentable. However a couple of weeks ago, Tim found this on Ebay: Comparing it with the parts book, it is exactly the right one although a bit ropey so we decided that it must be brought back and fitted. Sorry about the awful pictures. I wasn't having a good day. First step was simply to strip it down to find it full of muck and corrosion, as expected. I pickled the gauze in sulphuric acid to dissolve off the corrosion and then straightened it gently using a small screwdriver and my fingers. Someone had unscrewed the filter previously with a pair of pliers and had crushed the bowl. They had also drilled out one end and tapped it for a tap. I started with the bowl and, after annealing it, held it over a bit of bar in the vice and then tapped it with a hammer and chunk of steel to push the dents out. Not perfect but an improvement. Then I turned up a threaded spigot with the correct thread on the end and screwed it in with Loctite. I could have silver soldered it but the suction pipe is only soft soldered into the cap and I didn't want to disturb it. Finally, I turned up some new union nuts and nipples. A quick polish and it has gone into store ready for when we need it.

We didn't actually get to the limit of the gauge. At least, I don't think we did. It was on the shelf in the workshop! However, there are two pumps of different diameters and each has two pivot positions. To get the first pair of tyres to let go, we were on low ratio of the small pump and it was as much as one man could push on the handle so I think we were well up. Mind you, the lorry was broken up in 1937 and the tyres had been worn out before then so they can't have been moved for at least 80 years. Once they went, it was relatively straightforward to keep pushing. Steve

The ram is 14" diameter and the pressure gauge is dual calibrated in cwt/in² and Ton/in² up to 2 tons! We used all of it to get the rear tyres started as Tim will tell you shortly. Steve

Another good tip. Thanks John! Steve

The bronze bushes are fully floating in the wheel and on the axle, both front and rear. This was part of the subvention scheme specification so that they would be interchangeable between manufacturers. The Dennis is actually running on at least one Thornycroft bush as it had least wear! Thanks for the tip, Ted. I will keep that one in mind. Steve

Welcome Adrian! Don't be shy to join in. Consider that we are in a bar just chatting about the things we love. Everyone has something interesting to add and there is always something to be learned. The only difference is that so many of my friends are a long way away. Half way around the world in some cases! Come in and enjoy it! Steve

True. A bigger lathe would have made life a lot easier. However, the joy of this game is 'This is the equipment I have got. How am I going to do it?'. There is great satisfaction in overcoming these challenges! Steve

Thanks Andy. You are very kind. It is always good to have another string to the bow! Steve :-)

Thanks Arjan. I will remember that for next time. The bits are landfill somewhere by now...... Steve

Unfortunately, I don't have ready access to a borer but my friend Adrian does have this large lathe. I must go and speak nicely with him........ Steve

Hi Barry. My intention is that the split line is along the concave surface. In other words, the moulder puts it on his board face down as shown in the penultimate picture, fills the box and then reverses it so that the concave surface faces up. he will cut the sand away down to the top of the clevis area before filling the top half of the box. The clevis is tapered slightly as is the rib down the back to allow it to be drawn. That is how my mind is working but the moulder might have a fit when he sees it! We shall see. Sadly, I dropped the Dennis Eagle mug last week so it is no more. It is also irreplaceable as we have a new logo. Very sad! The acid is sulphuric acid from an old battery. I use it for pickling components before and after silver soldering to remove the flux. It has been there ten years now and is turning into a copper sulphate solution. It needs replacing but these 'sealed for life' batteries are making it hard to do! Steve :-)

Absolutely wonderful! Looking forward to seeing some more soon! Well done! Steve :thumbsup:

Exciting stuff! Well done! What is the story of that one? Is it a modern one or hundred years old? Looking forward to seeing it in due course! Steve :-)

The nice thing about this hobby is working out how to achieve something using the equipment at your disposal. That one is quite impressive! Steve :-D

I think we might notice an inch eccentricity, even at our speeds! Steve :-D

Wax is an interesting idea. The letters could just be pushed into it which would give the crisp edges. If the letters had long pins and the wax was a significant depth, they would be held well enough for a master to be cast. Someone will know for sure somewhere! Thanks! Steve

Yes, I can see now that this one has a heavy cloth (Hessian?) or a mesh backing. I wonder how they got the letters so straight and neat as there is not the faintest sign of a wobble. I hadn't thought of using pins but even they will be difficult in small letters. Other plates have a textured background of dimples or pyramids. Was some sort of laminate available at the time which could be glued onto the pattern backboard? Thanks for your comments. An intriguing puzzle! Steve :-)

Glad you are learning from the discussions. There is so much knowledge out there and it is a shame to waste it! Your first lathe is a very exciting prospect. Very soon you will not be able to understand how you lived without one! Good luck and have fun! Steve

Hi Barry. In our household at least, 'Wracking' is 'twisting and flexing under a varying load'. It could be a marine term as Grandfather was a shipwright and I think of ship hulls wracking in heavy weather. Steve

We don't have this plate for ours and are going to have to make one. Can anyone tell me how they produce the background texture on a casting like this? Is it a sheet of material cut around the letters or maybe with letters stuck on with a thick glue? I really don't know but a lot of old plates have this style. Steve

I have had a look through the catalogues and have ordered a pair of LT 1 7/8 thrust bearings. These are exactly the right OD and are big enough for a 1 1/2" bore bush to be pressed into them. Dad will turn up the bushes from bronze and just machine a shoulder to locate the bearing at the top. This should give us a good reliable solution with a minimal use of material which Father tells me he already has in stock from a lucky buy at some autojumble. The next step is to decide whether the king pin should be skimmed or is good enough to use as it is. This will determine the size of the bore. Steve :-)

I think the spoke pattern depended on who supplied the wheels. We have sets of both but chose the Y-spokes because we liked them better. Our front wheels are stamped 'RS&J' on one and 'S&C' on the other. I take these to be 'Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies' and 'Shrewsbury and Challoner' but stand to be corrected! The chassis is not a Subsidy type, like ours, as the wheelbase is a foot longer and the hole drillings are quite different. Steve

You are too kind. I am just a backyard bodger who manages to get the required result in the end. I am not brave enough to set up my own foundry. I shan't live long enough to do everything! John. That is quite some trip. I am so pleased that you have got the right wheels. They will really make the job and are undoubtably a boost to morale as well. We are looking forward to seeing the finished job, whenever! Did you get a picture of the four wheel drive tractor or can you remember what it was? Cheers! Steve